1983: Redskins Defeat Cowboys for NFC Championship

Two fierce NFC East rivals, the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, met for the conference championship on January 22, 1983. With divisions set aside due to a 57-day strike by the players that limited the schedule to nine games, Washington topped the NFC with an 8-1 record and the Cowboys ranked second at 6-3. The usual playoff format was set aside for a tournament of the top eight teams in each conference. Washington easily defeated Detroit and Minnesota in the first two rounds to advance to the NFC title game, and the Cowboys got past the Buccaneers and Packers.

Washington had last been in the postseason in 1976 and was appearing for the first time under second-year Head Coach Joe Gibbs. Little had been expected of the Redskins coming into the ’82 season, but things fell into place on both sides of the ball. On offense, the line, known as “the Hogs”, coalesced into the league’s best unit. QB Joe Theismann had a Pro Bowl year and, while WR Art Monk was missing in the postseason with a broken foot, WR Charlie Brown was coming off of a fine year in which he was also selected to the Pro Bowl. Workhorse 33-year-old RB John Riggins (pictured above) was stepping up in the playoffs with hundred-yard performances in the two wins. The defense had improved dramatically since the preceding year and led the league in fewest points allowed in the short season. Mark Moseley received rare MVP plaudits for a placekicker with his 20 field goals in just 21 attempts.

The Cowboys, coached for the 23rd season by Tom Landry, were back in the NFC Championship game for the third consecutive year, and had lost the last two. QB Danny White was capable but had taken criticism for failing to win big games. Still, he was a Pro Bowl performer, as was star RB Tony Dorsett, who led the NFC in the abbreviated season with 745 rushing yards. The receiving corps was a good one that featured WRs Drew Pearson and Tony Hill. The aging defensive line was still formidable, as was the defensive backfield.    

There were 55,045 enthusiastic fans in attendance for the Saturday game at RFK Stadium. The Cowboys had the first possession and drove 75 yards in 10 plays, with Tony Dorsett running effectively and Danny White completing three passes. But after reaching the Washington 15 yard line, the Redskins stiffened on defense. On third down, CB Jeris White knocked a pass out of Drew Pearson’s hands that would have been a touchdown and Dallas settled for a 27-yard Rafael Septien field goal.

The Redskins responded by driving 84 yards, starting off with two carries by John Riggins for 12 yards. Theismann had completions to TE Rick Walker for nine yards, 15 yards to TE Don Warren, and 11 yards to WR Alvin Garrett, and Riggins contributed a 17-yard run. The possession was capped by a pass from Theismann to Charlie Brown for a 19-yard touchdown. Mark Moseley added the extra point and Washington was in front by 7-3.

On their next series, the Redskins converted a fourth-and-one play at the Dallas 40 with a carry by Riggins, but they ultimately came up empty when the drive stalled and Moseley’s 27-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright and was unsuccessful.

The Cowboys were having difficulty on offense, with three straight possessions in which they were unable to get a first down. As the first half wound down, a punt by the Redskins was muffed by Dallas DB Rod Hill and, while LB Monte Coleman recovered in the end zone for Washington, the ball had to come back to the 11. It was a formality as Riggins carried twice for eight yards and, after RB Joe Washington gave the Redskins a first down at the one, Riggins carried again for a touchdown with 3:41 remaining in the first half. Moseley again added the PAT and Washington took a 14-3 lead into halftime.

In the last minute of the half, White was hit hard by DE Dexter Manley and suffered a concussion, knocking him out of the game. He was replaced by third-year backup QB Gary Hogeboom (pictured at left), who had thrown only eight passes all season.

A fumble by Washington DB Mike Nelms returning the second half kickoff gave Dallas the first possession in the third quarter, and Hogeboom directed the Cowboys to a score, finishing the series off with a six-yard touchdown pass to Pearson. Septien’s point after narrowed the Washington lead to 14-10, but Nelms returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to the Dallas 20. Five plays later, Riggins ran for a four-yard TD, Moseley converted, and the home team was up by eleven points at 21-10.

The Cowboys blitzed linebackers and defensive backs on first down in an effort to shut down Riggins and the relentless Washington running attack. Later in the period, Hogeboom threw to WR Butch Johnson for a 23-yard TD and, with Septien adding the extra point, Dallas was behind by only 21-17.

The tide turned in the fourth quarter. First, LB Mel Kaufman intercepted a low pass by Hogeboom that was intended for WR Tony Hill. That set up a Moseley field goal from 29 yards to make the score 24-17. Then, on the next play from scrimmage, DT Darryl Grant (pictured at right) grabbed a pass tipped by Manley and ran 10 yards for a touchdown. Moseley converted and, with two scores in a span of 17 seconds, Washington was ahead by two touchdowns with 6:55 remaining in the contest. The Redskins got the ball back with 4:26 to play and Riggins ran nine straight times for 43 yards to finish off the Cowboys by a final score of 31-17.

The game had an odd ending when Theismann took a knee on fourth down with 12 seconds left, forgetting that the clock would stop for the change of possession. The Cowboys left the field and had to be called back, returning after five minutes to run the last play with Pearson taking the snap and not attempting to advance. In the meantime, happy Washington fans had already flooded the field and torn down the goal posts.

Dallas led in total yards (340 to 260) and first downs (21 to 18). Only 65 of those yards came on the ground, as opposed to 137 for the Redskins, and the Cowboys also turned the ball over three times, to none by Washington.

John Riggins set a NFL postseason record with his third straight hundred-yard rushing performance (he made it four straight in the Super Bowl) as he gained 140 yards on 36 carries that included two touchdowns. Joe Theismann completed 12 of 20 passes for 150 yards and a TD with no interceptions. Alvin Garrett, performing well in the playoffs as the replacement for Art Monk, had four catches for 46 yards and Charlie Brown gained 54 yards on his three receptions that included a TD.

For the Cowboys, Gary Hogeboom was successful on 14 of 29 throws for 162 yards in relief, but after tossing two TDs he gave up the two interceptions. Prior to leaving the contest, Danny White was 9-of-15 for 113 yards and no TDs, although also with none picked off. Tony Dorsett was held to 57 yards on 15 rushing attempts and he gained 29 yards on two catches. Three Dallas receivers caught five passes apiece, with Butch Johnson gaining the most yards with 73 that included a touchdown, Tony Hill contributing 59 yards, and Drew Pearson accounting for 55 yards and a TD.

“If we are a fluke, you can just put NFC Champion behind it,” exclaimed Joe Theismann. “They say we are lucky, they say we don’t have enough talent, but we did it.”

“It was just a pleasure to be in a game like this,” said John Riggins. “This is the first championship game I’ve been in. To tell you the truth, after the strike, I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue the season. I was ready to pack my bags and head for Kansas. Boy, what a mistake that would have been.”

The pleasure continued for the Redskins, who defeated Miami in the Super Bowl. Riggins was again the star as he rushed for 166 yards. They repeated as NFC Champions in 1983. Dallas returned to the playoffs in ‘83, finishing second to Washington in the NFC East, but lost in the Wild Card round. The Cowboys would not appear in another NFC Championship game until the 1992 season.

Gary Hogeboom came up short in his relief performance against the Redskins, but it set the stage for a quarterback controversy that culminated with his getting the starting job ahead of Danny White in 1984. His performance was lackluster, White took back the reigns, and Hogeboom was traded to the Colts in ‘86. 

1984: Bears Upset Redskins in NFC Divisional Playoff Game

The NFC Divisional playoff game on December 30, 1984 featured the Washington Redskins, a team known for offensive prowess that had won the NFC Championship the previous two years, and the NFL’s top-rated defensive team, the Chicago Bears.

The Bears had not won a playoff game since 1963 and had only two appearances in the interim, the last in 1979. Mike Ditka, who had been a player on that title-winning ‘63 team, was the third-year head coach and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan the architect of an aggressive unit that set a record with 72 sacks in ’84. The defense was especially strong on the line that was anchored by DT Dan Hampton and DE Richard Dent, the conference leader in sacks with 17.5, and at linebacker, where MLB Mike Singletary was a consensus first-team All-Pro.  

The key to the offense, as he had been for virtually all of his ten years with the Bears, was RB Walter Payton (pictured above), who surpassed Jim Brown as the career rushing leader during the season but, at age 31, was still formidable (1684 rushing yards, 2052 yards from scrimmage). QB Jim McMahon had been sidelined by a variety of injuries and a lacerated kidney finished him for the year ten weeks into the season. Bob Avellini, Rusty Lisch, and Greg Landry, in addition to Steve Fuller, who was starting against Washington despite a shoulder separation, had all seen action behind center for the Bears. Chicago won the NFC Central with a 10-6 record.

Washington, coached by Joe Gibbs, topped the NFC East at 11-5 and, while not as potent as the record-setting 1983 team that was upset by the Raiders in the Super Bowl, was still strong. The Redskins had an outstanding offensive line, dubbed “the Hogs”, and 35-year-old RB John Riggins rushed for 1239 yards and 14 TDs behind it. QB Joe Theismann passed for 3391 yards and 24 touchdowns while WR Art Monk set a NFL record with 106 catches. The Redskins could play defense effectively, too, and had ranked second to the Bears with 66 sacks.

There were 55,431 fans in attendance at RFK Stadium, where the Redskins were 7-0 in the postseason, and they started the contest with a 56-yard drive that resulted in Mark Moseley kicking a 25-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Bears benefited from a turnover when a hard-charging SS Todd Bell caused RB Joe Washington to fumble. That led to a 34-yard field goal by Bob Thomas to tie the score.

Later in the period, the Bears finally put together a sustained drive, moving from their 30 to the Washington 19 and helped along by a roughing-the-passer penalty on DE Charles Mann after Steve Fuller completed a pass to FB Calvin Thomas for 13 yards. At that point, the Bears pulled a trick play as Walter Payton took a pitchout and faked a handoff on an apparent reverse to WR Dennis McKinnon coming around toward him. But Payton kept the ball and, taking advantage of the opposing safeties playing up close to defend against the run, threw an option pass to a wide-open TE Pat Dunsmore in the end zone for a touchdown. Bob Thomas added the extra point and the Bears were ahead by 10-3 at halftime.

On the second play of the third quarter, Fuller (pictured at left) threw a short pass to WR Willie Gault that the fleet-footed receiver turned into a 75-yard TD. Thomas missed the extra point, but the Bears now were up by 16-3.

The Redskins scored a touchdown on a one-yard carry by RB John Riggins to narrow the margin to 16-10. Chicago responded with a series that was kept alive by a roughing-the-kicker penalty on a punt, called on Washington DB Ken Coffey. Fuller completed back-to-back passes to McKinnon, the second for a 16-yard TD, and Thomas added the PAT to again make it a 13-point game. Just before the end of the period, Riggins scored another touchdown and, with Moseley again adding the extra point, the Bears entered the fourth quarter with a six-point lead of 23-17.

The defensive nature of the contest intensified in the final period. Three times the Redskins took possession in Chicago territory and came up empty, starting at the 36, 40, and 45 yard lines. Twice they were pushed back by the Bears and forced to punt and the last series ended with Moseley missing a 41-yard field goal attempt. The Bears took an intentional safety when punter Dave Finzer ran out of the end zone because Coach Ditka didn’t want to take a chance on kicking out of his own end zone with just over eight minutes remaining, which provided the only points of the final period. Chicago thus prevailed by a score of 23-19.

The Redskins held the edge in total yards (336 to 310) and first downs (22 to 13) while Chicago was slightly in front in time of possession (30:24 to 29:36). Each team turned the ball over one time, but both teams blitzed heavily on defense and the Bears recorded seven sacks, to five by Washington, with most coming in the fourth quarter.

Walter Payton rushed for 104 yards on 24 carries and threw a touchdown pass. Steve Fuller only went to the air 15 times, with 9 completions, but they were good for 211 yards and two TDs, with no interceptions. Dennis McKinnon had four catches for 72 yards and a touchdown and Willie Gault gained 75 yards and scored on his lone reception. On defense, DE Richard Dent (pictured at right) had three sacks and DT Dan Hampton was right behind with two.

For the Redskins, Joe Theismann was successful on 22 of 42 throws while facing relentless pressure, for 292 yards and no touchdowns and was picked off once. He also ran the ball five times for 38 yards due to being flushed out of the pocket. Art Monk caught 10 passes for 122 yards, TE Clint Didier added 85 yards on his four receptions, and WR Calvin Muhammad contributed 5 catches for 62 yards. John Riggins was held to 50 yards on 21 rushing attempts that included the two short TDs. On defense, LB Rich Milot was credited with 3.5 sacks.

“This is one heck of a football team we shut down today,” said Coach Ditka of the Bears. “We played relentless football and when you play that relentless some good things have to happen to you.”

“It was kind of like being on the freeway at rush hour…without a car,” summed up Joe Theismann.

The Bears were shut down 23-0 by the 49ers in the NFC Championship game, but the stage was set to achieve greater things in 1985, a season that would culminate in a Super Bowl triumph. Washington dipped to 10-6 in ’85, missing the playoffs, but returned to the postseason in 1986.

1975: Bills Rally to Beat Jets on Long Ferguson-to-Simpson Touchdown

The Buffalo Bills were at 4-2, having lost two consecutive games after winning their first four, as they faced the New York Jets on November 2, 1975. The offense could score points and was spurred by star HB O.J. Simpson. FB Jim Braxton was an effective runner as well as blocker while QB Joe Ferguson (pictured above) had developed into a fine passer. However, the defense was another story and had been most notably weakened by the loss of CB Robert James for the entire year. Head Coach Lou Saban’s team was looking to get back on track after the two defeats.

New York had a 2-4 record and lost badly to the Bills in the season-opening contest. Coached by Charley Winner, the Jets still had QB Joe Namath to throw the ball, but at 32, “Broadway Joe” was too immobile and interception-prone playing behind a mediocre line. FB John Riggins was an effective runner and there were good receivers in WR Jerome Barkum and TE Rich Caster. But the defense was poor, although on this day it was focused on stopping Simpson.

It was a clear day at Shea Stadium with 58,343 fans in attendance. The Bills took the opening kickoff and drove 74 yards in 11 plays. O.J. Simpson was stopped for losses on both of his carries, but Joe Ferguson had completions to WR Bob Chandler for 16 yards and WR J.D. Hill for 32 and 21 yards as well as a four-yard gain on a quarterback sneak that converted a third down. A holding penalty backed the Bills up after they reached the one and scored an apparent touchdown, but Ferguson threw to Jim Braxton for an 11-yard TD that counted and John Leypoldt added the extra point.

The Jets had to punt after their first series came to a stop at the Buffalo 49 and this time it was Simpson (pictured at left) carrying the bulk of the load as the Bills advanced to their own 38. However, FS Delles Howell intercepted a Ferguson pass and returned it nine yards to the Buffalo 42. John Riggins carried three straight times to pick up 23 yards before the drive stalled at the 25 and Pat Leahy kicked a 42-yard field goal. Buffalo held a 7-3 lead at the end of the opening period.

Simpson and Braxton had good gains to close out the first quarter and the Bills drove methodically into New York territory. On a third-and-nine play, Ferguson threw to Braxton for a 26-yard gain to the 16 yard line. However, a penalty and a sack by DT Ed Galigher moved the visitors back to the 33 and they punted.

Starting from their own 11, it was the Jets’ turn to put together a long possession. Riggins and HB Emerson Boozer ran effectively and Joe Namath passed to WR Eddie Bell for a 22-yard gain. The advance finally was stopped at the Buffalo 24 and Leahy kicked a 41-yard field goal to make it a one-point game.

New York got the ball back a few plays later when a Ferguson pass was picked off by LB Godwin Turk, who returned it to near midfield. Following a five-yard carry by Boozer, HB Steve Davis ran for 22 yards to the Buffalo 24 and then, following the two-minute warning, he carried again for 11 yards. Boozer lost a yard on the next play and two Namath passes were incomplete, and the home team settled for a 31-yard Leahy field goal.

The Jets got the ball right back on the ensuing kickoff, however, when WR Vic Washington fumbled after running it back 24 yards and DB Ed Taylor recovered for New York at the Buffalo 23. Two plays later, Namath threw to Boozer for a 16-yard touchdown. Leahy added the point after and the Jets took a 16-7 lead into halftime.

The Jets had the first possession in the third quarter and drove 70 yards in seven plays. Riggins ran for 11 yards and caught a pass from Namath for 22 to the Buffalo 34. Three plays later Namath threw long for Bell at the goal line and the diminutive receiver caught it for a 31-yard TD. Leahy’s conversion put the home team ahead by a 23-7 score.

The Bills responded with a series that started off with Ferguson throwing to Braxton for 21 yards and, after catching a short pass, Simpson ran for 18 to the New York 34. Ferguson connected with Chandler for 18 yards but, after advancing to the 11, a holding penalty pushed the Bills back and they ended up with a 40-yard field goal by Leypoldt.

Riggins and Boozer picked up 22 yards between them on the next series and Namath completed a pass to Rich Caster that gained 29 yards. But a Namath pass intended for Bell was intercepted by CB Tony Greene, who fell into the end zone for a touchback. The Bills then went 80 yards in eight plays. Ferguson passed to Hill in the corner of the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown and, with Leypoldt’s PAT, the Bills were now down by just six points at 23-17.

New York was driving as the contest moved into the fourth quarter and reached the Buffalo 30 before a sack and holding penalty moved the ball back to the 45, from where the Jets had to punt. The Bills had to punt as well and the Jets took over at their 31. HB Carl Garrett ran for 11 yards but was twice stopped for no gain before Namath completed a pass to Barkum for 15 yards. Namath threw to Caster for 13 yards to reach the Buffalo 29 and Garrett ran twice to pick up another nine yards. However, Riggins was stopped for no gain on third-and-one and, going for it on fourth down, he was stopped short again as DE Earl Edwards slammed into him at the line.

Starting from their 20 with 5:19 left on the clock, the Bills picked up nine yards on a Ferguson pass to Braxton and then the quarterback ran the ball up the middle for another seven and a first down. After a pass fell incomplete, Ferguson threw across the middle to Simpson, who split the defenders and ran down the left sideline for a 64-yard touchdown. Leypoldt kicked the all-important extra point and, in electrifying fashion, the visitors were in front by one.

The Jets had two more shots in the time remaining but couldn’t get out of their end of the field. They punted from their own 24 after the first series and, regaining the ball at their 19 following a clipping penalty on Buffalo’s ensuing punt, Namath was sacked twice. The Bills held on to win by a final score of 24-23.

Buffalo had the edge in total yards (435 to 366) while the Jets had more first downs (25 to 22). New York also gained more yards on the ground (199 to 148). The Bills turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by the Jets, although they recorded four sacks, to one for New York.

O.J. Simpson was largely kept in check as he rushed for 94 yards on 21 carries, but his 66 yards on two catches included the game-deciding touchdown. Joe Ferguson completed 15 of 29 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns, although he was intercepted twice. Jim Braxton ran for 43 yards on 10 attempts and pulled in four passes for 67 yards and a TD and J.D. Hill gained 88 yards on his four receptions that also included a score. Bob Chandler contributed five catches for 75 yards.

For the Jets, Joe Namath was successful on 16 of 31 throws for 208 yards and two TDs while giving up one interception. John Riggins (pictured at right) gained 108 yards on 24 carries, but it was the one yard he couldn’t get on fourth down that drew the most comment. Jerome Barkum had five catches for 44 yards, Rich Caster added four for 56 yards, while Eddie Bell topped the club with 60 yards on three receptions that included a touchdown.

“We only needed less than a yard,” explained Coach Charley Winner of the fateful decision to pass up a possible game-clinching field goal in the fourth quarter and try and convert a fourth down instead. “The players all thought they could make it. Who knows what the percentage is if you try to kick a field goal? We were making yardage all day long. We thought we could make one foot.”

The Bills lost their next two games on the way to a disappointing 8-6 record that placed third in the AFC East. Ultimately, offensive prowess couldn’t overcome defensive vulnerability. New York won only once more all year to end up at the bottom of the division along with the Patriots at 3-11. Coach Winner was gone after nine games and Ken Shipp finished up in the interim.

O.J. Simpson was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection for the fourth straight year as he led the league in rushing with 1817 yards, total yards with 2243, touchdowns with a then-record 23, and scoring with a total of 138 points. Joe Ferguson tied for the NFL lead in touchdown passes with 25 along with Minnesota’s Fran Tarkenton.

John Riggins became the first Jet to rush for a thousand yards with 1005 on 238 carries (4.2 avg.) and was selected to the Pro Bowl. Joe Namath passed for 2286 yards and 15 touchdowns, but led the league in interceptions for the second consecutive year with 28.

1983: Packers Defeat Redskins in 48-47 Monday Night Thriller

The Green Bay Packers were facing a major challenge as they hosted the Washington Redskins on October 17, 1983. At 3-3, Head Coach Bart Starr’s Packers were a team that could put points on the board, especially with QB Lynn Dickey (pictured above) passing to wide receivers James Lofton and John Jefferson and TE Paul Coffman. But they also gave up points and came into the game with the 28^th-ranked defense in the NFL. They also had to make adjustments on the offensive line, with G Tim Huffman out with an ankle injury that necessitated moving Greg Koch over from his OT position and starting Charlie Getty at tackle.

Having a poor defense was not a good situation to be in when facing the Redskins. Coached by Joe Gibbs, they were coming off a Super Bowl-winning season and, if anything, were even stronger in ‘83. Behind the best offensive line in the league, QB Joe Theismann was a proficient passer and RB John Riggins a powerful force running the ball. If there was a weak point, it was the defensive backfield, but Washington was cruising at 5-1, with a close opening-game loss to the Cowboys the only blemish.

There were 55,255 fans in attendance for the Monday night game at Lambeau Field. Just over a minute into the first quarter, they had reason to get excited when Green Bay LB Mike Douglass forced RB Joe Washington to fumble and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown and, with Jan Stenerud’s extra point added, the early 7-0 lead.

DB Mike Nelms returned the kickoff 41 yards and the Redskins drove 55 yards in six plays, highlighted by Theismann’s pass to WR Art Monk for a 34-yard gain. The series ended with John Riggins fumbling into the end zone and TE Clint Didier recovering for a TD. Mark Moseley tied the score with his PAT.

Green Bay responded with a 10-play, 40-yard drive. Lynn Dickey threw to Paul Coffman for 17 yards and John Jefferson for 13 along the way and Stenerud kicked a 47-yard field goal that put the Packers back in front by three.

Washington moved the ball quickly downfield with Theismann connecting with Monk for a 22-yard gain and with RB Nick Giaquinto for 31 more yards. But the Green Bay defense came through with back-to-back sacks of Theismann and the Redskins had to settle for a 42-yard Moseley field goal. The eventful first quarter ended with the score tied at 10-10.

Things did not slow down as the game approached the second quarter. Dickey threw to James Lofton for 21 yards and the Packers picked up 15 more on a penalty when CB Darrell Green hit the receiver out of bounds. Dickey then tossed a 36-yard touchdown pass to Coffman. Stenerud added the extra point and the home team was back in front by 17-10.

Back came the Redskins, moving 67 yards in seven plays and highlighted by a 36-yard carry by Riggins. Riggins scored from a yard out and Moseley again knotted the score with the successful PAT.

The Packers reached the Washington 33 on the next series before a Dickey pass was intercepted by CB Anthony Washington. After getting a first down, the Redskins were finally forced to punt and Green Bay came back with a 73-yard, seven-play possession. RB Eddie Lee Ivery tossed an option pass to Coffman for 15 yards and a first down at the Washington 9 from where Coffman caught a scoring pass, this time from Dickey. Stenerud added the extra point and once again the Packers were in front by a touchdown.

With less than two minutes remaining in the half, the Redskins came out throwing. Theismann completed five passes to reach the Green Bay 11 and Moseley booted a 28-yard field goal as the clock reached five seconds. The Packers carried a 24-20 lead into the intermission.

Starting off the third quarter, the Packers struck quickly as they advanced 80 yards in just 42 seconds. Dickey threw to Coffman for 40 yards and then RB Gerry Ellis, taking advantage of a big hole, ran 24 yards for a touchdown. The home team had its biggest lead of the day at 31-20.

Washington seemed on the verge of responding with a touchdown, reaching the Green Bay four, but an offensive pass interference penalty nullified an apparent scoring catch and once again the Redskins settled for a Moseley field goal, this time from 31 yards.

Up by eight points, the Packers were forced to punt on their next series and Bucky Scribner’s kick was blocked to give the Redskins the ball at the Green Bay 19. Five plays later, Theismann threw to Joe Washington for a six-yard TD and, with Moseley’s PAT, the Green Bay lead was down to 31-30.

Washington’s defense again asserted itself as Dickey was sacked twice by DT Dave Butz. Nelms made a good return of the ensuing punt by Scribner to give the visitors possession at their 46. From there, the Redskins again moved deep into Green Bay territory, but after reaching the nine yard line, Douglass tackled Joe Washington for a loss and once again Washington was held to a field goal. Still, Moseley connected from 28 yards and put the visitors ahead by 33-31 with ten seconds left in the period.

RB Harlan Huckleby returned the ensuing kickoff for 54 yards to the Washington 39 and the fourth quarter started with Dickey throwing to Ellis for 32 yards. Shortly thereafter, TE Gary Lewis scored a touchdown from two yards out on an end-around that put the Packers back in front.

The Redskins came right back again as Theismann threw to Monk for 25 yards and WR Charlie Brown for another 15. Riggins blasted into the end zone from a yard out and the Washington was again in the lead of the wildly back-and-forth contest.

The Packers responded with another score of their own, with Dickey completing passes covering 19 yards to Jefferson and 17 yards to Lofton. An 11-yard touchdown pass to FB Mike Meade, followed by Stenerud’s extra point, again put Green Bay in front at 45-40.

Now it was Washington’s turn again. Theismann (pictured at right) threw to Monk for 21 yards and Joe Washington ran for two first downs. A sack of Theismann by DE Byron Braggs momentarily derailed the Redskins, but a pass to Giaquinto picked up 35 yards and set up a five-yard scoring toss to Washington. Moseley added the point and, with 2:50 left on the clock, the visitors were back on top at 47-45.

It looked bleak for the Packers when, following the kickoff, Dickey tossed two incomplete passes. But then he found Ellis on a short pass over the middle that turned into a 56-yard gain to the Washington eight and, after conservatively running the ball into the line three times, the dependable Stenerud came on to kick a 20-yard field goal. It was the fifth lead change of the final period and put the Packers ahead by a point.

There were still 54 seconds remaining in the contest, however, and while the Redskins had no timeouts remaining, they quickly moved the ball down the field. Theismann completed three passes to Joe Washington, gaining a total of 33 yards, and the running back made it out of bounds after each. Theismann then threw to Brown for 22 yards, but the clock was still running and the quarterback had to hurriedly toss a pass out of bounds with three seconds to go. On the last play of the game, Moseley missed a 39-yard field goal attempt, the fans erupted, and the Packers came away with the 48-47 win.

The combined 95 points was a new high for Monday Night Football. The teams also combined for 1025 yards of offense, with the Redskins topping Green Bay by 552 to 473. They had more first downs (33 to 23). Each team turned the ball over once, and there were just three punts in all (one by Washington, two for Green Bay, one of which was blocked by the Redskins).

Lynn Dickey completed 22 of 31 passes for 387 yards and three touchdowns with one intercepted. Paul Coffman had 6 catches for 124 yards and two TDs while Gerry Ellis (pictured at left) contributed 105 yards on four receptions to go along with his three carries for 41 yards that included a score. James Lofton caught 5 passes for 96 yards and John Jefferson added 50 yards on his four catches.

For the Redskins, Joe Theismann was successful on 27 of 39 throws for 398 yards and two TDs and no interceptions. Joe Washington caught 9 passes for 57 yards and two touchdowns to go along with his 80 rushing yards on 16 carries. John Riggins, who had to sit out much of the second half with a hip injury, nevertheless led the club on the ground with 98 yards on 25 attempts that included two TDs. Art Monk gained 105 yards on five catches and Charlie Brown had 6 receptions for 91 yards.

“It was about the wildest thing I’ve ever been in,” said Lynn Dickey. “I wish I had been in the stands or at home watching on tv, it was that good.”

“It was a tremendously inspirational win because you could see the sort of enthusiasm and intensity that was on display tonight,” said Bart Starr. “You have to salute both teams because Washington, for the reasons demonstrated on the field, is a world-championship team. They are magnificent.”

The Packers lost their next two games on the way to an 8-8 finish that put them second in the NFC Central (and cost Coach Starr his job). Tellingly, while they ranked fifth in the league with 429 points, they also gave up a NFL-high 439 points. Washington didn’t lose again during the regular season, compiling a 14-2 record that was best in the league as well as the NFC East. Along the way, the Redskins set 18 NFL records that included points scored with 541. However, after repeating as NFC Champions, they came up short in the Super Bowl, losing decisively to the Raiders.

Lynn Dickey led the NFL in passing yards (4458) and touchdown passes (32), although also in interceptions (29). James Lofton (58 catches, 1300 yards, 8 TDs) and Paul Coffman (54 catches, 814 yards, 11 TDs) were both selected to the Pro Bowl.

Joe Theismann had a MVP year as he ranked second in passing (97.0 rating) while compiling 3714 yards and 29 touchdowns. John Riggins was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection as he rushed for 1347 yards and set a new league standard with 24 touchdowns. Joe Washington added 772 rushing yards and 454 yards on 47 pass receptions.

1978: Eagles Defeat Redskins in NFC East Showdown

The Philadelphia Eagles were at 3-3 and facing a key test as they hosted the Washington Redskins on October 15, 1978. In their third season under intense Head Coach Dick Vermeil, the perennially-losing Eagles were showing signs of improvement. In particular, second-year HB Wilbert Montgomery (pictured above) had broken out and already produced three hundred-yard rushing games. QB Ron Jaworski was now in his second season with the club and developing steadily. The defense, anchored by ILB Bill Bergey, contained several rising young stars. After losing their first two games – the second at Washington – Philadelphia won three straight before falling to the Patriots.

The Redskins, coached for the first year by Jack Pardee, were undefeated at 6-0. QB Joe Theismann was performing well and FB John Riggins was steady in leading the ground game. However, there were cracks in the façade – the wide receivers were nothing special and the defense was aging, which would become more of an issue as the season wore on.   

There were 65,722 fans in attendance at Veterans Stadium on a pleasant Fall afternoon. Following HB Tony Green’s 30-yard kickoff return, the Redskins moved quickly into Eagles territory when Theismann passed to Riggins for a 33-yard gain. But the drive stalled at the Philadelphia 24 and Mark Moseley’s 41-yard field goal attempt into the wind was wide to the left.

The Eagles kept the ball on the ground, with Wilbert Montgomery carrying most of the load and FB Mike Hogan contributing a 13-yard carry on a third-and-four draw play. They eventually had to punt but, on Washington’s next play from scrimmage, FS John “Deac” Sanders intercepted Theismann’s pass and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown. Nick Mike-Mayer added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The Redskins again advanced into Philadelphia territory and once more Moseley missed a field goal try, this time from 49 yards. The Eagles responded by driving from their 32 to the Washington 34, but Mike-Mayer was short on a 51-yard field goal attempt. The first quarter ended with the home team continuing to hold a one-touchdown advantage.

The Redskins started off the second quarter by getting a 34-yard gain on a pass from Theismann to Green on their second play. This time they didn’t come up empty when Moseley, now kicking with the wind at his back, put them on the board with a 49-yard field goal.

Washington got a break when, following a short series by the Eagles, punter Mike Michel, who was playing in his first game for the Eagles, fumbled the snap and, while he got off the kick, it was for only nine yards. The Redskins had excellent field position at the Philadelphia 28 but backed themselves up with holding penalties and they ultimately had to punt the ball back.

The Eagles, pinned back at their nine, went three-and-out and Michel’s ensuing punt went only 26 yards to again give the Redskins a big field position advantage as they started at the Philadelphia 37. Riggins converted a fourth-and-one play with a three-yard carry but the Eagles continued to stymie Washington’s passing game. Once again having to settle for a field goal try, the Redskins went with a fake but Theismann’s pass fell incomplete.

Philadelphia again failed to generate offense and had to punt. This time the unfortunate Michel fumbled as he tried to get the punt away and LB Don Hover recovered for the Redskins at the Philadelphia 21. However, three plays later Theismann lost the ball when hit by DE Dennis Harrison while back to pass and Bill Bergey recovered for the Eagles.

With just under two minutes remaining in the half, the Eagles got a first down on two running plays and a defensive personal foul penalty moved them to the Washington 45. Ron Jaworski threw to WR Ken Payne for 17 yards and, after being flagged on the next play for intentional grounding, he hit TE Keith Krepfle for 26 yards to the 12 yard line. The half ended with Mike-Mayer kicking a 29-yard field goal and, despite the Redskins spending most of the first two quarters on Philadelphia’s side of the field, the Eagles were in front by 10-3.

On the second play from scrimmage of the third quarter, Jaworski was picked off by CB Lemar Parrish near midfield. With Riggins running the ball effectively, and even Theismann running for 11 yards on a third-and-two play, the Redskins drove to the Philadelphia two. But passing up a short field goal to try and score on fourth-and-goal, Theismann rolled out, was sacked by Harrison, and fumbled. LB Reggie Wilkes recovered at the nine.

Now the Eagles put together a solid drive of their own as Montgomery ran well and Jaworski connected on back-to-back passes to Krepfle for 15 yards and WR Harold Carmichael for 28. But facing third-and-12 at the Washington 25, Jaworski was hit by DE Coy Bacon while trying to pass and fumbled, DT Diron Talbert recovering for the visitors.

This time the Redskins struck fast and didn’t come away empty, going 65 yards in three plays. Theismann threw to WR Ricky Thompson for 49 yards and Riggins followed up with runs of 13 and then three yards for a touchdown. Moseley’s extra point tied the score at 10-10.

Now it was Philadelphia’s turn to strike quickly. FB James Betterson returned the ensuing kickoff 44 yards to the Washington 47 and, on the last play of the third quarter, Montgomery took off on a 24-yard run. Montgomery and Hogan added 11 more yards before Montgomery, going to the outside, ran 12 yards for a TD. Mike-Mayer added the point after and the Eagles were back in front by seven.

There was still plenty of time for the Redskins. On their first play following the kickoff, Theismann connected with WR John McDaniel for 21 yards, but three plays later CB Herman Edwards intercepted a pass at his own 13 and returned it 25 yards.

Montgomery fumbled the ball back to the Redskins at midfield and Riggins ran four straight times, gaining 23 yards, and Theismann threw to TE Jean Fugett for eight yards. But after reaching the Philadelphia 11, in a pivotal play Green fumbled after gaining five yards and Wilkes recovered at the three to end the threat.

There were just over five minutes left on the clock and the Eagles kept the ball on the ground, with Montgomery and Hogan again running the ball with some success. Once more they had to punt, something that had often gone badly earlier in the game, but this time it was the Redskins who suffered misfortune. Michel’s 32-yard kick was fielded by Green, who fumbled when hit by WR Vince Papale. HB Billy Campfield recovered for the Eagles and that effectively sealed the win for Philadelphia. The Eagles were able to run out the clock and won by a final score of 17-10.

The Redskins had more total yards than Philadelphia (273 to 262) but the Eagles led in first downs (17 to 14). While they only gained 99 passing yards, the Eagles were effective on the ground as they gained 180 yards to Washington’s 135. The Redskins turned the ball over six times, to four suffered by the home team.  The Redskins only punted once, while the punting game was a headache for the Eagles as Mike Michel averaged just 25 yards on his four kicks and suffered various miscues. Ultimately, Washington’s inability to capitalize on opportunities – especially in the first half – proved fatal.

Wilbert Montgomery was the star on offense for the Eagles as he rushed for 125 yards on 25 carries and scored a touchdown. Mike Hogan added 39 yards on 11 attempts. Ron Jaworski completed just 7 of 14 passes for 99 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Keith Krepfle topped the receivers with two catches for 41 yards. On defense, Dennis Harrison (pictured below) accounted for two sacks (as yet an unofficial statistic), knocked away a pass, and forced a fumble.

For the Redskins, John Riggins gained 97 yards on 21 rushing attempts that included a TD and had another 43 yards on three pass receptions. Joe Theismann was successful on only 8 of 21 throws for 163 yards with no TDs and two intercepted. Ricky Thompson, with 49 yards on his lone catch, topped the club in receiving yards.

The win by the Eagles foreshadowed a change of fortunes for both teams. While the Eagles lost their next two games, they then reeled off four straight victories on their way to a 9-7 finish that put them second in the NFC East and in the postseason for the first time since 1960 as a Wild Card. They lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Washington faded badly, winning only twice more the rest of the way to end up third in the division at 8-8.

Wilbert Montgomery continued to perform well for the Eagles, setting a then-franchise record with 1220 rushing yards on 259 carries (4.7 avg.) and nine touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Mike Michel, who had such difficulties punting against the Redskins in his Philadelphia debut, did not find the going any easier. When Nick Mike-Mayer was injured, he took over the placekicking in addition to punting and missed three of his 12 extra point attempts. In the playoff loss to the Falcons, he failed on another extra point and attempted a 34-yard field goal in the final seconds with the game on the line that missed badly. It marked the end of his two-season NFL career.

1984: Raiders Overwhelm Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII

Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984 featured the defending NFL Champions, the Washington Redskins, against the Los Angeles Raiders. If anything, the Redskins, coached by Joe Gibbs, appeared to be even better in ’83, at least on offense. After losing their opening game, they breezed through the rest of the schedule to again top the NFC East at 14-2. Along the way, they set a new league record for points (541) thanks to a high-powered offense directed by QB Joe Theismann and including RB John Riggins and wide receivers Charlie Brown, Art Monk, and Alvin Garrett along with an outstanding offensive line, known as “the Hogs”. If there were major concerns, they were in regard to the pass defense. 

The Raiders, coached by Tom Flores, topped the AFC West with a 12-4 record. While QB Jim Plunkett had lost his job to Marc Wilson for a time during the season, he played well down the stretch. Second-year RB Marcus Allen (pictured above) was outstanding both as a runner from scrimmage and receiver out of the backfield, TE Todd Christensen caught 92 passes, and veteran WR Cliff Branch was still productive when healthy. The veteran-laden defense was tough and aggressive.

The two teams had met during the regular season and the Redskins won an exciting back-and-forth contest in Washington. The defending champs, having thrashed the Rams and then just gotten past the 49ers in the postseason to win the NFC title, were three-point favorites coming into the game. Meanwhile, LA had soundly beaten the Steelers and Seahawks in the playoffs.

There were 72,920 fans in attendance at Tampa Stadium. Following their first possession, the Redskins were forced to punt from their 30 yard line. The kick by Jeff Hayes was blocked by TE Derrick Jensen (pictured below), who then recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown to give Los Angeles the early lead.

On Washington’s next series, it was the turn of the Raiders to suffer a miscue on a punt as the kick by Hayes hit Los Angeles CB Ted Watts in the back and was recovered by the Redskins. However, they failed to capitalize, gaining just 15 yards before Mark Moseley missed a field goal try from 44 yards out.

Both teams had difficulty generating offense in the early going. On the third play of the second quarter, it seemed as though the Redskins might benefit from a botched punt when Ray Guy had to jump for a high snap, but he one-handed it and was able to get the kick away. LA held the Redskins on the next series and, upon regaining possession, came out throwing. Jim Plunkett connected with Cliff Branch down the middle for a 50-yard gain. Two plays later, it was Plunkett to Branch again for a 12-yard touchdown and, with the successful extra point, a 14-0 lead.

Down by two touchdowns, the Redskins put together a 13-play, 73-yard series, highlighted by Theismann completing a pass to Alvin Garrett for 17 yards in a third-and-17 situation and throwing to TE Clint Didier twice, for 18 yards and then 20 yards to get inside the LA 20. However, they were unable to reach the end zone as the drive stalled at the seven. Moseley kicked a 24-yard field goal to get Washington on the board.

The Redskins got the ball back following a punt by the Raiders at their 12 yard line with 12 seconds left in the half. Theismann, with three receivers set wide to his right, tossed a swing pass to the left intended for RB Joe Washington – a play that had been a big-gainer when the clubs met in the regular season – but LB Jack Squirek stepped in front of the receiver, picked off the pass at the five, and had clear sailing for a touchdown (pictured at left) that made it 21-3 in favor of the Raiders at the half.

Washington started the second half strong with a 70-yard scoring drive. Theismann completed three passes and John Riggins ran the ball six times, the last on a one-yard plunge into the end zone for a TD. However, TE Don Hasselbeck blocked Moseley’s extra point attempt to keep the score at 21-9.

The Raiders responded with a 70-yard drive in eight plays that was helped along by a 38-yard pass interference penalty on CB Darrell Green. Los Angeles converted a third-and-four play at the Washington 11 as Plunkett threw to FB Frank Hawkins for six yards and Marcus Allen capped the series with a five-yard touchdown carry.

Trying to keep up, the Redskins were unable to convert on fourth-and-one at the LA 26 and, on the last play of the third quarter, Allen made a big play that, for all intents, finished off the defending champs. With a first down at the LA 26, Allen took a pitchout from Plunkett and began to sweep to his left. However, with SS Ken Coffey fast approaching, he reversed field and had clear sailing to a 74-yard TD. It set a new Super Bowl record for longest run, eclipsing the 58-yard carry by Tom Matte of the Colts in Super Bowl III. More importantly for the Raiders, it put Washington in a very deep hole at 35-9.

The fourth quarter was anticlimactic. The Raiders added a 21-yard field goal by Chris Bahr following an interception by CB Mike Haynes and came away with a stunning 38-9 win. It was the most points scored in a Super Bowl up to that time, as well as a record victory margin.

LA had more total yards (385 to 283) although the Redskins generated more first downs (19 to 18). But, critically, Washington was only able to gain 90 yards on the ground, averaging 2.5 yards per carry as the Raiders typically dominated the line of scrimmage.  In addition, the Los Angeles defense sacked Theismann six times and the Redskins turned the ball over three times – once directly for a score – as opposed to two turnovers by LA.

NT Reggie Kinlaw was a big part of the successful effort against the ground game while cornerbacks Mike Haynes and Lester Hayes blanketed wide receivers Charlie Brown and Art Monk.

Marcus Allen was the game’s MVP as he rushed for 191 yards on 20 carries that included two touchdowns;  the rushing total set a new Super Bowl record, breaking that of John Riggins set a year earlier. Jim Plunkett completed 16 of 25 passes for 172 yards and a TD with none intercepted. Cliff Branch (pictured at right) caught 6 passes for 94 yards and a score.

For the Redskins, the continually-harassed Joe Theismann was successful on 16 of 35 throws for 243 yards with no touchdowns and two picked off. John Riggins was held to 64 rushing yards on 26 carries and scored a TD. Clint Didier led the club with 5 pass receptions, for 65 yards, while Charlie Brown gained 93 yards on his three catches.

 “The turning point was when they scored at the start of the second half and we came right back and scored,” said Tom Flores. “That was big for us.”

“What hurt the most was the Raiders coming back right after we scored at the start of the third quarter,” echoed Charlie Brown in summing up the defeat.

“This is the first time since Joe Gibbs has been here that any team has controlled our offense the way the Raiders did,” Joe Theismann noted.

“They pressed us with tight man-to-man coverages,” explained Coach Gibbs. “When they play you like that you either get the big plays or you have problems.”

In speaking to the Raiders afterward, managing general partner Al Davis enthused, “Of all the great teams we’ve had, this team dominated so much that, in my opinion, you are the greatest Raider team of all time and you rank with the greatest teams that ever played in any sport.”

The Raiders were 11-5 in the highly-competitive AFC West in 1984, reaching the postseason as a Wild Card team and losing to the division-rival Seahawks in the first playoff round. Washington topped the NFC East again in ’84, but also fell short of a return to the Super Bowl with a loss to the Bears in the Divisional round of the playoffs. The Redskins would win another NFC title in 1987, by which time such stalwarts as Joe Theismann and John Riggins were long gone. 

1983: Cowboys Overcome 20-Point Deficit, Beat Redskins in Opener

The Washington Redskins, champions of the NFL in 1982, began their title defense with a Monday night game on September 5, 1983 against their arch-rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. It was a humid 87 degree night in Washington, but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the sellout crowd of 55,045 at RFK Stadium.

Washington, coached by Joe Gibbs, featured the passing of QB Joe Theismann and the ground-gaining of rugged RB John Riggins on offense, along with an outstanding line known as “The Hogs” and a capable group of receivers led by WR Art Monk. The defense lacked big names but played well as a unit.

As for Head Coach Tom Landry’s Cowboys, they had most recently lost to the Redskins in the NFC Championship game – their third straight trip to the conference title contest that ended in defeat. QB Danny White was capable but also living in the shadow of his illustrious predecessor, Roger Staubach, and RB Tony Dorsett, TE Doug Cosbie, and wide receivers Tony Hill (pictured above) and Drew Pearson were all solid offensive performers. The defense had slipped in ’82, however, showing signs of age.

The Redskins were emotionally high coming into the opening game and did well at exploiting weaknesses in the Dallas defense during the first half. The Cowboys started their first drive from their own 16 yard line and that was typical during the first two quarters of play as they were consistently kept on their own half of the field.

In the first quarter, Mark Moseley started the scoring off with a 23-yard field goal and Riggins scored a touchdown on a one-yard carry. The biggest first half highlight for Dallas came in the second quarter on a 77-yard run by Tony Dorsett, who was caught from behind by fleet CB Darrell Green. Stifled again by Washington’s defense, the Cowboys had to settle for a 26-yard Rafael Septien field goal.

Moseley followed up with field goals of 30 and 39 yards and, with 40 seconds left in the first half, WR Charlie Brown made an outstanding catch of a Theismann pass for a 41-yard touchdown that seemingly put the Redskins in command at 23-3.

Theismann amassed 181 passing yards in the first half, making good use of short sideline passes to his wide receivers. Meanwhile, Danny White was a miserable one-for-nine. Dallas managed just three first downs, one of them on a penalty. However, for all the dominance Washington had scored just two touchdowns, along with three field goals.

The Cowboys made adjustments to the defense at halftime that successfully countered Washington’s attack during the second half. Things began to turn around early in the third quarter when White completed a pass to Tony Hill, who raced past CB Vernon Dean for a 75-yard touchdown.

Shortly thereafter, White hit Hill again for another long scoring play, this time victimizing the inexperienced CB Anthony Washington in the secondary. Suddenly, the Washington lead was down to 23-17.

Still ahead by six points, the Redskins drove to the Dallas 14 yard line but were moved back by a holding penalty and then Moseley had a critical missed field goal attempt from 31 yards. Dallas responded by driving 80 yards – 27 coming on runs by Dorsett and aided by a late hit of White called on LB Mel Kaufman - and taking the lead with White running around end for a short TD, followed by Septien’s extra point.

With just over two minutes to play, the game-clinching points were set up thanks to reserve CB Ron Fellows intercepting a Theismann pass at the Washington 40 and returning it to the four yard line. TE Doug Cosbie caught a touchdown throw by White from a yard out with less than two minutes to play.

The Redskins finally scored again in the waning seconds to close to one point, but it was inconsequential to the outcome once a desperation onsides kick was recovered by the Cowboys. Dallas came away with a 31-30 win.

Washington outgained the Cowboys (447 yards to 356) and had more first downs (26 to 16), but was also penalized seven times, to just two flags thrown on Dallas. Moreover, the inability to put more points on the board in the second half until it was too late, combined with the big plays by the Cowboys that exploited weaknesses in Washington’s defense, made the difference.

Danny White, recovering from the horrible first half showing, ended up completing 9 of 20 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Tony Dorsett (pictured below) rushed for 151 yards on 14 carries. With the two long scoring plays, Tony Hill gained 133 yards on 3 receptions while Doug Cosbie also caught 3 passes, for 36 yards and the clinching TD.

For the Redskins, Joe Theismann was successful on 28 of 38 throws for 325 yards with two TDs and the one late interception. Alvin Garrett caught 10 of those passes for 101 yards and Charlie Brown added 6 for 97 yards. John Riggins ran the ball 27 times for 89 yards and a touchdown.

“That pass to Hill was the play that turned the game around,” said Joe Theismann. “It didn’t kill us, but it woke up the Cowboys.”

“Anytime I can look up here and see the stands half-empty and the fans grumbling on their way out, it’s the most gratifying experience in football,” said Dennis Thurman, who recovered the climactic onsides kick for the Cowboys that effectively ended the game. “Those fans were screaming ‘we want Dallas’. I’m not too sure they want us now.”

The opening defeat was easily overcome by the Redskins, who won the rematch in Dallas later in the season and lost only one other game in compiling a 14-2 record. Featuring their high-scoring offense, they again advanced to the Super Bowl, only to be upset by the Los Angeles Raiders. The Cowboys finished second in the NFC East but qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card with a 12-4 tally. They didn’t make it to the NFC Championship game this time, falling to the Rams in the first round.

Danny White (pictured at right) placed third in the league with 3980 passing yards and tied with Joe Theismann for second with 29 TD passes. Tony Hill caught 49 passes for a team-leading 801 yards (16.3 avg.) and 7 touchdowns. Doug Cosbie was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first of three straight yeas as he pulled in 46 receptions for 588 yards and 6 TDs. Also chosen for the Pro Bowl was Tony Dorsett, for the fourth time, who rushed for 1321 yards on 289 yards (4.6 avg.) and caught 40 passes for 287 more yards and a total of 9 touchdowns. 

1983: Riggins Runs Redskins Past Dolphins to Win Super Bowl XVII

Super Bowl XVII capped a 1982 NFL season that was shortened to nine games due to a players’ strike and, as a result, necessitated a change to the usual alignment and playoff structure. The divisions were done away with and the teams with the eight best records in each conference qualified for a postseason tournament. The clubs that came out of the process to meet in the Super Bowl on January 30, 1983 were the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins.

The Redskins, under second-year Head Coach Joe Gibbs, had made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1976 and did so in impressive fashion, topping the NFC with an 8-1 record. QB Joe Theismann, the NFL’s top-ranked passer (91.3 rating), operated behind an outstanding offensive line known as “The Hogs”. Wide receivers Charlie Brown and Art Monk were productive, and FB John Riggins (pictured above), typically lined up as a single back in a two-tight end offense, gained 553 yards during the season and had been most impressive in the playoffs with 444 yards on 98 carries (4.5 avg.) in three dominating wins over the Lions, Vikings, and, for the NFC title, the Cowboys. The defense lacked big names but gave up the fewest points in the NFL. To top it off, a special teams performer was selected as league MVP by the Associated Press and Sporting News – PK Mark Moseley, successful on 20 of 21 field goal attempts. Moseley and DB Mike Nelms, an outstanding kick returner, were both named to the Pro Bowl.

The Miami Dolphins, coached by Don Shula, were the second-seeded AFC team at 7-2. With the unspectacular but mobile David Woodley at quarterback, Miami emphasized the ground game on offense, led by Pro Bowl FB Andra Franklin (701 yards). The tough, league-leading defense contained several notable players with last names that began with B and thus were dubbed “The Killer Bees”. They included NT Bob Baumhower, ends Doug Betters and Kim Bokamper, LB Bob Brudzinski, and sibling safeties Glenn and Lyle Blackwood. Outstanding defenders in the 3-4 alignment with non-B last names included inside linebackers A.J. Duhe and Earnest Rhone and CB Don McNeal. Miami defeated the Patriots and Chargers in the first two rounds of the playoffs and then shut out the New York Jets in the AFC Championship game.

There was a giant crowd of 103,667 on hand at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California for the contest. The teams traded punts to open the first quarter, but on the second play of the second Miami possession Woodley threw a sideline pass to WR Jimmy Cefalo, who made the catch 21 yards up the field and continued on to the end zone for a 76-yard touchdown.

The Redskins went three-and-out on their next series and the Dolphins ran effectively when they got the ball back, with RB Tony Nathan gaining 12 yards up the middle and Franklin adding another 13 yards on two carries. But with a first down on the Washington 37, Woodley dropped back to pass and was hit hard by DE Dexter Manley, forcing a fumble. DT Dave Butz recovered for the Redskins, who then proceeded to put together an eight-play scoring drive that stretched into the early seconds of the second quarter. After converting a third down to get to the Miami 35, it was Riggins running on five consecutive plays and gaining 21 yards. Moseley kicked a 31-yard field goal and Miami’s lead was cut to 7-3.

The Dolphins started their next series with good field position thanks to CB Fulton Walker’s 42-yard kickoff return to the Miami 47. They drove methodically down the field with Nathan and Franklin running the ball and Woodley throwing short passes. However, after getting a first-and-goal at the Washington eight yard line, the Dolphins couldn’t get into the end zone and settled for Uwe von Schamann’s 20-yard field goal that capped the 13-play possession and made the score 10-3.

The Redskins came back with a long drive of their own, going 80 yards in 11 plays. Theismann started off by passing to TE Rick Walker for 27 yards and the tight end followed up by running for six yards on a reverse. Two Riggins carries garnered a first down at the Miami 43 and Theismann threw twice for 19 yards, 15 on a screen pass to Riggins. Two plays later, Theismann ran the ball 12 yards to the 13 and, following two more runs by Riggins that got the ball to the four, Theismann threw to WR Alvin Garrett in the corner of the end zone. Moseley’s extra point tied the game at 10-10, but it didn’t stay that way for long. Fulton Walker returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown (pictured below) – the first on a kick return in Super Bowl history. It put Miami back in front at 17-10, and that remained the score at halftime. It would prove to the high water mark of the game for the Dolphins.


The clubs traded punts to start the third quarter before the Redskins put together a six-play, 61-yard scoring drive. The highlight was Garrett running on a reverse for 44 yards to the Miami nine. Moseley kicked a 20-yard field goal that narrowed the score to 17-13.

After neither team could generate a first down on the next three possessions, Theismann tossed a pass that Duhe intercepted at the Washington 47. The Dolphins were unable to capitalize, however, as Woodley’s long pass intended for Cefalo was deflected and picked off by FS Mark Murphy at the five yard line. Riggins ran twice for 13 yards but, with the ball out to the 18, disaster nearly struck for the Redskins when Theismann’s first-down throw intended for Charlie Brown was tipped up into the air and almost intercepted by Bokamper. As the defensive tackle tried to pull the ball in, and with nothing between him and the goal line, Theismann alertly reached over to jar the ball loose for an incompletion.

Washington continued its drive, with the game entering the fourth quarter, to the Miami 43 and a long pass by Theismann intended for Brown was intercepted by Lyle Blackwood at the one. In a critical series, the Dolphins were able to gain only three yards and Tom Orosz’s punt sailed 41 yards - with a three-yard return by Nelms, the Redskins had good field position at the their 48.

They made the most of it. Following two runs by Riggins and a carry by RB Clarence Harmon, Washington faced a fourth-and-one situation and went for it. Riggins took the handoff, headed toward left end, and kept going all the way for a 43-yard touchdown. With Moseley’s extra point, the Redskins took a 20-17 lead.

The Washington defense was steadily taking control and the Dolphins responded with a short series that started at their 22 and ended with a net loss of a yard at the 21. Orosz punted only 32 yards, Nelms returned for 12, and the Redskins again had outstanding field position, starting at the Miami 41.

It was all ball control now as Riggins carried on six of the next seven plays. Theismann rolled out on a third down play and threw to Charlie Brown for the needed nine yards to get inside the Dolphins’ ten and three plays later he threw to Brown again for a six-yard TD that sealed the win for Washington. The 12-play drive ran nearly seven minutes off the clock and the Dolphins were down by ten points with under two minutes to play. Miami turned to backup QB Don Strock, a better passer than Woodley, but it made no difference. The Redskins won their first NFL title since 1942 by a score of 27-17.

Washington’s domination was complete, outgaining the Dolphins by 400 yards to 176 and posting 24 first downs to Miami’s 9. 276 of the Redskins’ yards came on the ground, and the Dolphins gained only 34 total yards in the second half, with no pass completions at all. Each team turned the ball over twice.


John Riggins was the game’s MVP as he rushed for 166 yards on 38 carries and a TD – 108 of those yards came in the second half. Joe Theismann (pictured at left) completed 15 of 23 passes for 143 yards with two touchdowns and two intercepted. Charlie Brown had 6 catches for 60 yards and the game-clinching TD.

For the Dolphins, David Woodley was successful on four of his 14 throws for 97 yards with the one long touchdown that accounted for most of the yardage and one interception. Jimmy Cefalo, who caught the scoring pass, had two catches for 82 yards and WR Duriel Harris pulled in the other two completions, gaining 15 yards. Andra Franklin led the ground game with 49 yards on 16 attempts. Fulton Walker, with his 190 yards on four kickoff returns for a 47.5 average and a TD, was Miami’s most productive offensive weapon.

After Coach Gibbs had received the congratulatory phone call from President Ronald Reagan and Riggins learned that he was the game’s Most Valuable Player, the irrepressible fullback said, “At least for tonight, Ron may be the President, but I’m the King.” The Super Bowl performance crowned an impressive postseason for Riggins, in which he ended up with more rushing yards in the four playoff games (610) than he did in the nine regular season contests (553).

The Redskins proved it was no fluke in 1983, putting together a record-setting offensive season while going 14-2. They again won the NFC title, but were upset by the Raiders in the Super Bowl. Miami went 12-4, losing in the Divisional round of the playoffs, although the stage was set for a return to the Super Bowl in ’84 due to the impressive play of rookie QB Dan Marino.

MVP Profile: John Riggins, 1983

Running Back, Washington Redskins


Age: 34
12th season in pro football, 7th with Redskins
College: Kansas
Height: 6’2” Weight: 235

Prelude:
Following a college career in which Riggins set a school rushing record, he was chosen in the first round of the 1971 NFL draft by the New York Jets. As a rookie, he led the team in rushing (769 yards) and pass receiving (36). In five seasons with the Jets, the power runner who occasionally missed time due to injuries and contract holdouts gained 3880 yards and became the franchise’s first thousand-yard rusher with 1005 in 1975, his only Pro Bowl season. A punishing runner between the tackles, he also showed a decidedly eccentric and anti-establishment streak, and after playing out his option signed with the Redskins in 1976. He had back-to-back thousand-yard seasons in 1978 and ’79, sat out all of 1980 in a contract dispute, and returned to run for 714 yards and 13 TDs in ’81. In the strike-shortened 1982 season, he gained more yards in the four postseason games (610) than in the eight regular season games he appeared in (553) and was MVP of Washington’s Super Bowl win over the Dolphins.

1983 Season Summary
Appeared and started in 15 of 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 375 [2]
Most attempts, game - 30 (for 83 yds.) at Seattle 9/25, (for 122 yds.) vs. NY Giants 12/17
Yards – 1347 [5]
Most yards, game – 122 yards (on 30 carries) vs. NY Giants 12/17
Average gain – 3.6
TDs – 24 [1]
100-yard rushing games - 3

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 5
Most receptions, game – 2 (for 2 yds.) at Philadelphia 9/11, (for 18 yds.) vs. Kansas City 9/18
Yards – 29
Most yards, game - 18 (on 2 catches) vs. Kansas City 9/18
Average gain – 5.8
TDs – 0

Passing
Attempts – 1
Completions – 0
Yards – 0
TD passes – 0
Interceptions – 0

Scoring
TDs – 24 [1]
Points – 144 [2]

The 24 touchdowns set a then-NFL single-season record.

Postseason: 3 G
Rushing attempts – 87
Most rushing attempts, game - 36 vs. San Francisco, NFC Championship
Rushing yards – 306
Most rushing yards, game - 123 vs. San Francisco, NFC Championship
Average gain rushing – 3.5
Rushing TDs – 6
100-yard rushing games - 2

Pass receptions – 1
Most pass receptions, game - 1 vs. LA Raiders, Super Bowl
Pass receiving yards - 1
Most pass receiving yards, game - 1 vs. LA Raiders, Super Bowl
Average yards per reception – 1.0
Pass Receiving TDs – 0

Passing
Pass attempts – 1
Pass completions – 1
Passing yards – 36
TD passes – 0
Interceptions – 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL Player of the Year: Bert Bell Award
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Pro Football Weekly
2nd team All-NFL: NEA
1st team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly

Redskins went 14-2 to win the NFC East with the league’s best record while leading the NFL in scoring (541 points) and touchdowns (63). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Los Angeles Rams (51-7) and NFC Championship over San Francisco 49ers (24-21). Lost Super Bowl to Los Angeles Raiders (38-9).

Aftermath:
Riggins again gained over a thousand yards (1239) and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns (14) in 1984, but by 1985, his final season at age 36, he was splitting time with George Rogers. Overall, Riggins ran for 11,352 yards, which ranked fourth all-time at his retirement, and 116 touchdowns (104 rushing, 12 as a pass receiver), which ranked second. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1992.

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/14/14]